


When I Wake Up

by LyriaBlackFrost



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Dream World, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide attempt, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 04:24:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20129320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyriaBlackFrost/pseuds/LyriaBlackFrost
Summary: After escaping from his own world of dreams, Akira tries to help his boyfriend do the same. However, seeing Ryuji so happy makes Akira feel like his decision to bring him back to reality is a very cruel one.





	When I Wake Up

**Author's Note:**

> Before anything, I know this isn't how things will happen in P5R. I just wanted to write something inspired by the dream world idea because... why not?
> 
> I also want to thank filonovfaces for pointing out the **many** problems the first draft of this fic had and giving me suggestions on how to solve them <strike>what is pacing? never heard of it</strike>. :')
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

Akira opened his eyes, saluted by a sea of people and loud cheering. It took a minute for his senses to adapt to that place, which seemed so real in every aspect. The sun’s warmth, the sound of voices, the smell of junk food and sweat…

_Ryuji_ _… He had to find Ryuji._

He still couldn’t understand how that world of dreams worked, or how that strange, yet familiar voice managed to wake him up from his own dream. He also couldn’t explain why, but he knew that his friends were still trapped and that he had to find them. That was the reason he willingly let himself get captured by Ryuji’s dream: with the two of them back together, they would find a way to help everyone else, as they did since the very beginning.

The problem was, Akira still didn’t know how that place worked, or how he was supposed to help the others. He tried — without much success — not to worry about it for the moment, focusing only on finding his boyfriend.

Again, his vision went out of focus, his legs almost losing their balance. The dream knew he wasn’t a part of it and was trying to push him away. He pressed his eyelids shut, breathing deeply. The voices got louder, accompanied by claps and whistles. Akira dragged himself amid the crowd, telling himself he didn’t have the time to falter. Ryuji was there, somewhere… He needed his help.

Akira managed to free himself from the crowd, blinking a few times when the sunlight went straight to his eyes. He was in an open area, looking at a track field, where a bunch of teenagers in different school uniforms tried to catch their breaths. He blinked again, looking around, trying to find a red uniform.

It took him a second to recognize Ryuji with black hair. The bright smile when he saw Akira, however, was still the same. Akira was struck by a wave of pure relief.

“Aki!”

Akira ran in his direction and Ryuji did the same, the gold medal around his neck gleaming under the sunlight. Akira threw his arms around him, pulling him close, forgetting for a moment that they were still trapped in an illusion.

“Ryuji…” Akira moved away, cupping his boyfriend’s face with both hands. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah!” Ryuji shrugged. “I didn’t train all those months for nothing.”

Before Akira could say anything else, Ryuji placed a light kiss on his lips. A familiar voice called his boyfriend’s name, drawing his attention away from Akira.

“Hey, mom!”

Ryuji waved as Aoi Sakamoto approached them. Her face was still the familiar, gentle one, but there was something different about her. She looked… younger. Happier.

“You did it!” she said as she hugged Ryuji against her chest. “I’m so proud of you, sweetheart!”

Ryuji giggled as she kissed his cheeks over and over.

“Where is he?” he asked as soon as she let go of him.

“He’s coming,” answered Aoi, glancing around. “You know how he is, had to capture the whole thing on camera. You better be ready for him to show it to the whole family later.”

A heavy feeling grew at the bottom of Akira’s stomach.

“Who are you talking—”

Before he could finish that question, Ryuji gestured to someone behind him, waving with a big smile on his face.

“There he is!” he yelled. “Dad!”

It was as if a pair of invisible hands squeezed Akira’s lungs. He turned around, in time to see Ryuji run to a tall man with black hair, who had a wide, proud smile on his face. He placed an arm around Ryuji’s shoulders, messing his hair with a hand.

Akira could do nothing but stare for a long while. Aoi placed her hand on his shoulder, watching her husband and son with a happy expression. Without thinking, Akira placed his hand over hers. She wasn’t real, but… She _felt_ real. Everything in that place did.

_Especially for Ryuji._ Akira’s heart ached at the realization that he was about to take it all away from him.

“Hey, Akira!” said Ryuji’s father as they approached him, still hugging his son’s shoulders. “Good to know you made it in time! Did you see how amazing our boy was? Seems like he’s more than ready for college next year.”

“C’mon, dad…” Ryuji complained with a groan. “You’re embarrassing me.”

The man playfully messed his hair again, ignoring Ryuji’s half-hearted protests.

“Just let me be proud of you,” he said. “That’s what you get for being my only son.”

“As if that’s my fault!”

Aoi laughed, then approached her husband, embracing his waist.

“Leave him in peace, darling,” she asked, turning her attention to Akira. “We’re having lunch out to celebrate. Are you joining us?”

“Uh…?” Akira needed a second to understand her words. “Yes, sure.” He hesitated. “Can I just… talk to Ryuji for a minute?”

“Of course, sweetie,” she said.

“We’ll be waiting at the car, then,” added Ryuji’s father. “Ryuji knows where it’s parked.”

Without any question, Ryuji’s parents joined their hands, walking away with relaxed expressions while sharing a light, intimate conversation. Ryuji looked at him, and, when Akira struggled with the words, he spoke.

“Wanna go somewhere less crowded?”

Akira nodded. Ryuji pulled him by the hand, guiding him amid the now dispersing crowd. They found a peaceful place behind the bleachers, on a corridor that led back to the main building.

“Here looks good,” he said, turning to face Akira, the excited smile still on his face.

_That wasn_ _’t going to be easy._

“Ryuji, I—”

Before Akira could speak, Ryuji kissed his lips again, caressing his hair with his fingers. He moved away, looking Akira in the eyes, a soft smile on his face.

“I’m so happy you could come,” he whispered.

Akira opened his mouth, but couldn’t find the strength to say anything.

“What’s with that face?” asked Ryuji with an amused smirk. “Did you get too much sun on your head?”

_He seemed so happy and carefree_… Thinking about it was enough to crush Akira’s heart. Ryuji might have noticed something was wrong since soon his expression changed to concern.

“Akira?” Ryuji placed a hand on Akira’s face, frowning a bit. “Are you okay? You’re kinda pale… Do you need to sit down a little?”

Akira reached for the hand on his cheek, holding it.

“Ryuji, listen.” He started to say, unsure of how to proceed. “This… This isn’t real.”

Ryuji chuckled, shaking his head.

“Yeah, yeah… There you go, with your drama.” He gave Akira a light knock on the side of his head. “‘Course it’s real, you nerd.”

“No, that’s not…” Akira stopped himself, aware that such an approach would only lead to more misunderstandings. “This will probably sound weird to you, but we’re inside an illusion. Like a palace, but… Made of dreams, I think.”

“Palace…?”

Ryuji’s confused reaction took Akira by surprise. He couldn’t remember the palaces? _Wait_… had Akira forgotten about those things in his own dream, as well? He wasn’t sure… But it would make sense, wouldn’t it? Why would a perfect world need the Phantom Thieves?

“How much do you remember?” Akira asked. “The Metaverse? Mementos? Shadows? Personas?” he lowered his voice. “The Phantom Thieves?”

Ryuji didn’t say a word, but his lost expression was enough of an answer to Akira.

“You really don’t remember anything?” he asked.

“What are you talkin’ about, Aki?”

Akira furrowed his brow, trying to think of something. Maybe if he could understand Ryuji’s dream, he could find some connection to the real world, something that would help Akira bring him back. Not the most well-thought plan, but what other choice did he have?

“I know this sounds weird, but… How did we meet?”

The question made Ryuji stare at him for a while.

“Is this some kinda joke?” he asked.

“Please, just answer me.”

Ryuji hesitated but ended up yielding under Akira’s serious gaze.

“Okay…” He sighed, thinking for a moment. “You were transferred to Shujin last year, ‘cause you’re a big nerd and your grades were _that_ good. We kinda became friends on the first day, and started to date a few months later.”

Ryuji raised his arms in an inquisitive gesture.

“Happy now?” he asked.

Akira lowered his gaze. Of course, nothing bad had ever happened in that perfect world; no abusive father, no Kamoshida, no Shido… Nothing. Ryuji observed him, seeming unsure of what to think.

“Wait…” he said, finally. “Did you really forget how we met? Are you sure you’re feelin’ okay, Aki?”

As much as he wanted to take Ryuji out of that dream, he couldn’t help but feel his decision was a cruel one.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered.

“Hey, c’mon…” Ryuji gently brushed Akira’s hair away from his forehead. “Just tell me if you’re feelin’ sick. We can take you to the hospital on the—”

“That’s not it!”

Akira reached for Ryuji’s shoulders, grabbing them with enough strength to make Ryuji widen his eyes.

“Listen to me,” he asked. “What you’re seeing here isn’t real. You should know somewhere inside yourself already. This isn’t… This isn’t how everything happened!”

“You’re talkin’ some really weird shit, y’know?” Ryuji averted his gaze. “It’s kinda creepin’ me out.”

“It’s the truth. I wish it wasn’t, but…”

Akira took a deep breath. _He had to say it._ As painful as it could be, he had to make Ryuji remember, just like that voice did to him.

“You’re not on the track team anymore,” he said. “A shitty teacher provoked you, and when you reacted, he broke your leg. He turned everyone against you, even your teammates. When everything was resolved, you still didn’t go back. Your leg…” he made a pause, the words failing him. ”You can’t run anymore.”

Ryuji stared at him with his mouth half-open, and Akira couldn’t tell if saying all that was actually working. _Should he keep going?_

“I came to Tokyo because I’m on probation for assaulting a man, even if it wasn’t my fault,” he proceeded. “We became friends because we both felt isolated from everyone else. We created a group called the Phantom Thieves, so we could help people who are going through the same shit that we did. Can’t you remember what happened to Yusuke? Or Futaba? Or—”

“What about them?” Ryuji averted his gaze, sounding irritated. “They’re fine! Yusuke is a fuckin’ famous artist, and Futaba is at the top of her class. There’s nothin’ wrong with them.”

“That’s just because you wished nothing was wrong!” retorted Akira. “Yusuke was used as a tool by his mentor during his whole childhood! Futaba saw her mother dying in front of her, and everyone said it was her fault! She refused to leave her room for two years because of it!”

Akira had the impression that the place around them flickered, losing some of its colors. _It should be working__… It had to be_.

“Don’t you remember how Haru’s father tried to force her to marry a guy she hated?” he proceeded. “Or how much Kamoshida abused Yuuki and the rest of the volleyball team? How he tried to pressure Ann into going out with him, so he wouldn’t harm Shiho?” As soon as he said that name, his chest tightened. Akira hesitated, lowering his voice. “How everything he did to Shiho made her try to—”

“Stop it!”

It all became dark for a second. Ryuji stared at Akira with a mix of fear and anger in his eyes.

“Don’t you say another word about Shiho,” he asked in a serious, paused voice.

Before Akira could come up with an answer, Ryuji’s terrified expression subsided. His boyfriend forced a big smile as everything became clear around them again.

“Shiho is the best volleyball player our school ever had,” he said. “She was even invited to be part of the national team after she graduates. You know that as well as everyone else! C’mon… Ann never stops braggin’ about how her girlfriend—”

“That didn’t happen!” Akira interrupted him. “She can’t even play anymore! All because that bastard made her try to kill herself!”

Ryuji flinched, taking a step back.

“Why… would you make a joke like that…?” he muttered.

“It isn’t a joke!” insisted Akira. “Nothing I said is. You just chose to forget about it.”

He observed Ryuji, hoping his words would finally wake him up from that dream. For a long time, Ryuji kept his gaze low, a conflicted expression on his face. He looked at Akira, forcing a weak, nervous chuckle.

“You ain’t makin’ any sense here, Aki…” he said, shaking his head. “Let’s go back to my parents for now, okay? We can talk after you rest a little.”

He tried to walk away, but Akira held him by the arm.

“Your parents aren’t together anymore,” he said. “Your father left when you were in middle school, and you always say it was for the best. He hurt you and your mother so many times… You don’t even like to talk about—”

“You’re going too far with this joke, Akira!”

Ryuji freed himself from Akira’s grasp, angrily staring at him. Akira clenched his fists.

“I said it’s not a joke, and you know I’m right!” he yelled.

“No! I have no idea what you’re talkin’ about!”

As soon as he said those words, however, the world started to oscillate again, like a lamp about to burn. Akira glanced around, hoping it was a sign that his plan had worked.

“You need to believe me,” he proceeded. “You should have realized by now that something is wrong here!”

Ryuji shook his head. Around them, countless cracks started to form, as if they were inside a dome of glass about to break, being held together by nothing other than Ryuji’s will.

“The only wrong thing here is you!” he said.

“Look around yourself!” insisted Akira. “Does any of this look normal to you?”

“I…”

Ryuji stopped talking, biting his lip. The world froze and went silent as it collapsed. As much as he tried to deny it, the reality was starting to sink in.

“This isn’t real,” repeated Akira.

“Shut up!”

Instinctively, Akira did as he said. He looked at Ryuji, who turned his gaze to the floor, his breath sounding heavy and raspy. It had been a long time since he had last seen Ryuji that upset… Maybe it was after Shiho’s attempted suicide, or maybe when they came up with that plan to fool Akechi. The cracks grew bigger. Fragments of that dream started to flicker and fade.

“Stop saying it isn’t real…” continued Ryuji, gradually raising his voice. “What’s your problem, Akira? I thought you fuckin’ loved me!”

Those words hurt, and, for a moment, Akira was unable to react.

“I do…” he muttered.

“Then why are you tryin’ to take this from me? Why can’t you let things go right in my life for once?”

A loud cracking sound followed Ryuji’s words. That dome finally shattered, giving place to countless big shards that circled them, showing inconstant flashing images and overlapping sounds. Shards of happy memories of him together with his mother and father oscillated, giving place to a younger Ryuji and Aoi alone, his mother hugging him against her chest, trying to comfort him as tears went down her face. The track team celebrating together changed into the sight of Kamoshida looking down on him with a satisfied smirk, a second before stomping on his leg. Akira and Ryuji laughing as they shared an ice-cream became Akira covered in wounds and bruises, looking small and frail, still too shaken from everything that had happened after Sae Nijima’s palace.

“What’s going on?” murmured Ryuji.

Akira closed his eyes, not wanting to look any longer at his own, pitiful self. Of course he knew what it was… He had gone through the same thing, after all. He wanted to look at Ryuji but couldn’t find the courage to see the expression he carried.

“You know already, don’t you?” he asked.

“I said I don’t know anythin’! Just stop this! I don’t wanna see it!”

“Ryuji…”

Akira tried to approach him, but Ryuji took a step back.

“Stop this, Akira…!” he covered his ears with both hands, shutting his eyes. “I don’t wanna see any of this! Please, just… just leave me alone…”

“I won’t,” answered Akira, holding his wrists, moving his hands away from his ears. “I can’t leave you here.”

“Why not?” He tried to free his hands, but Akira didn’t let go. “Everythin’ was fine until you appeared! Things should go back to normal if you just… If you just…”

He gritted his teeth, barely contained a low sob. Akira’s hands moved down to Ryuji’s, gently squeezing them.

“Please, Ryuji…” he murmured. “You need to remember.”

This time, Ryuji managed to pull his hands away from Akira’s.

“Remember what?” he screamed. “That I’m a piece of trash just like my old man? That my mom is unhappy and workin’ herself to exhaustion ‘cause of me? That I’m nothing but a disappointment to everyone? That, no matter how much I try, I still can’t change a damn thing? Is this what you want me to remember?”

Akira felt a dull pain in his chest.

“That’s not…”

He couldn’t find the words. Ryuji stared at him, and his anger slowly faded, leaving nothing but a pained expression behind.

“Why do you want me to go back to that life?” he muttered.

That question made Akira lower his gaze, having to fight against the guilt as he answered.

“Because, no matter how much it hurts, it’s still better than running from it.”

Ryuji scoffed at his words.

“Is it really?”

Akira opened his mouth, but, before he could say anything, Ryuji continued in a bitter tone.

“I wanted a normal family. I wanted to see my mom happy again. I wanted…” he raised his voice. “I wanted my old man to fuckin’ love me!”

Tears started to roll down his face, and he dried them with the back of his hand.

“I wanted to forget how much I fucked everythin’ up… I wanted to still be part of the track team. I wanted a leg that fuckin’ moves the way I want it to, and doesn’t randomly start to hurt. I…”

He stared at Akira, clenching both fists.

“I just wanted this stupid, happy life, okay? Is it so wrong to want things to go right for once? Can’t I even have this much?”

“It’s not wrong!”

Akira walked toward Ryuji, holding him by the arms, staring into his eyes.

“Do you think I don’t understand?” he proceeded. “There are many things I wish could’ve been different, too! I wish Shido didn’t fuck my whole life just because he could! I wish my parents weren’t so ashamed of me to the point of sending me away! I wish people didn’t treat me like a criminal! I wish I could have changed Akechi’s mind! I wish I didn’t have nightmares every other night because of all this shit! And…” his voice cracked. “And I wish nothing bad ever happened to you!”

Ryuji stared at him in silence. Akira continued.

“I know this is frustrating, and painful, and unfair… but guess what?” He tightened his grip on Ryuji’s arms. “We’re not done with this shitty reality yet. We didn’t come this far for nothing, okay? Things are going to get better for us both, so there’s no way I’m going back without you!”

With a deep breath, Akira let go of Ryuji’s arms, gently cupping his face.

“Even if you hate me for this, I’m not giving up on you.”

Ryuji looked into his eyes for a long time, clearly unsure of what to do. Carefully, Akira dried his tears with his thumbs.

“Please… believe me,” he whispered. “I would never do anything to hurt you.”

There was no response for a long time, as Ryuji still seemed conflicted. He reached for Akira’s hands, and, for a moment, Akira feared he would push them away. Instead, he held them in place.

“I know,” he said.

Ryuji closed his eyes. Those inconstant images and sounds slowly started to change, leaving behind the real memories before disappearing, one by one. When Ryuji opened his eyes again, long minutes later, there was nothing left. They were alone in a dark, silent space. He let out a heavy sigh.

“It really wasn’t real, was it?” he murmured.

Akira shook his head. Ryuji let out a humorless chuckle, lowering his gaze.

“Should’ve expected.”

Without saying anything else, he sat down with his knees bent against his chest. Akira sat beside him, and, for a while, both stayed silent.

“Sorry for yellin’ at you,” said Ryuji.

“It’s alright.”

Akira moved closer to Ryuji, until their arms were touching, leaning his head against his boyfriend’s shoulder.

“Listen…” he said. “I know things are far from perfect now, but you have people who care about you. You keep saying that you fucked everything up, like you didn’t do so many good things too. Ryuji… You were there with me since the beginning. Without you, the Phantom Thieves wouldn’t even exist. Kamoshida would be allowed to keep hurting his students and pushing them to their limits. Madarame would keep using Yusuke and his other apprentices for as long as he wanted, ruining their careers if they ever rebelled against him. Kaneshiro would destroy the lives of many other people, maybe even Makoto. Futaba would still believe she was responsible for her mother’s death. Haru would be forced to marry that disgusting Sugimura guy. Even Morgana would probably still be trapped inside that cell, if he hadn’t been killed by shadows by this point.”

Akira reached for his hand, intertwining their fingers.

“And, even if we weren’t Phantom Thieves, I’d still owe you so much,” he said. “You were the first person who took my side when everyone treated me as a criminal. You stayed with me whenever things got bad, and made me enjoy this life despite everything that happened. If I had never met you, I wouldn’t have my best friend, and the person I love with my whole heart.”

Akira brought Ryuji’s hand to his lips, kissing his knuckles.

“I’ve never felt this happy before,” he said. “And it’s all because I met you. You changed my life, and I’ll never be able to thank you enough for this.”

Ryuji smiled softly, squeezing his hand.

“You know how to get to my heart, nerd,” he said.

He sighed, and Akira waited until he spoke again.

“I know it’s dumb, but I’m kinda embarrassed about all this,” he admitted.

“There’s no reason to be.”

“Yeah, but…” Ryuji made a pause. “I just didn’t realize how much I wanted all this. I keep tellin’ myself and everyone else that I hate my old man, and still… First chance I get, this is what I wish for.”

Akira raised his head, looking at Ryuji, who kept his gaze low. It took him a while to proceed.

“He used to be kind when I was a small kid, y’know?” A pained smile took his lips. “Carried me up on his shoulders, helped me fix my broken toys, took me to ride on his bike on the weekends, and all that stuff. I don’t even know why I still remember all this…”

He forced another laugh, which soon faded.

“I loved him,” he said. “And I think he loved me too. I could never understand why it changed.”

Akira placed his hand on Ryuji’s head, pulling him closer, caressing his hair. Ryuji relaxed under that comforting touch, resting his head on Akira’s shoulder.

“When he lost his job and started drinkin’, I thought it would stop with time.” He continued after a while. “Mom said he was only actin’ like that ‘cause he was feelin’ bad… She said that it’d get better, that soon he’d go back to how he used to be. Instead, it was like there was less and less of him there each day, until… Until he…”

He interrupted himself, gesturing as he tried to find the right words.

”It was like he died, and someone else took his place,” he continued. “So I started to hate him… I hated that guy so much for takin’ my dad from me, even if…” He sighed, frustrated. “This sounds stupid, doesn’t it?”

“I understand,” assured Akira in a whisper.

Despite that answer, Ryuji hesitated before speaking again.

“I’m complaining a lot, ain’t I?” he asked. “I know it shouldn’t bother me so much after all this time…”

“That’s not true,” protested Akira in a calm voice. “There’s nothing wrong in feeling hurt, Ryuji. You don’t need to keep it inside your chest.”

“But what’s the point of talkin’ about this now?”

“The point is you shouldn’t go through this alone,” answered Akira. “I’m your boyfriend, and your friend. You were there for me whenever I needed it, so… Let me do the same for you, okay?”

Ryuji agreed with a small nod. He took a while to proceed, and Akira didn’t rush him.

“I hate him,” he admitted. “I’ll never forgive him for what he did to me and my mom, but…” Ryuji lowered his voice. “I miss him too. I mean, I miss the person he used to be. I think that’s the worst part of it, y’know? To think the two of them are still the same person.”

“I can imagine.”

“Maybe that’s why we never told anyone. I think mom was hoping he’d come back too. She waited for even longer than I did… Only gave up when he broke my arm. Said she’d call the cops on him if he didn’t leave.”

Ryuji shrugged.

“Well, he did. Easy like that, like we meant nothin’ to him.”

He stopped talking. Akira embraced his shoulders, caressing his arm in an encouraging gesture.

“I started to give my all on the track team after that,” proceeded Ryuji. “It was fun, and it helped to keep stuff outta my head. But then that Kamoshida bastard came in, and…” He lowered his voice to a bitter mutter. “He made sure I’ll never go back to it again.”

Ryuji inhaled deeply, slowly letting out his breath.

“It’s unfair, isn’t it?” he asked. “Sometimes I just feel like I can’t have anythin’ good, without someone takin’ it away from me.”

“It is,” whispered Akira. “You didn’t deserve any of this.”

Ryuji moved away from Akira, circling his arms around his own knees. He leaned his head forward until his forehead was resting over them.

“Man, this hurts…” he murmured.

Akira caressed his back, leaning in his direction.

“It’s okay,” he said. “I know it’s frustrating, and I wish things could’ve been different… But, even if we can’t change what happened, we can still make things better. Together, right? Like always.”

“Yeah… Guess you’re right.”

Ryuji spent some time like that. When he raised his head again, he had a pained smile on his face.

“I just wish I could see my mom that happy again someday,” he said.

Akira felt that sharp guilt back in his chest.

“I’m sorry I took that from you,” he said.

“Don’t be silly, Aki,” Ryuji reached for his head, caressing his hair. “What’s the point if it’s all fake? I’d rather be with my mom, my friends, and my favorite nerd in that shitty real world.”

Akira smiled with the corner of his lips.

“Am I your favorite nerd?”

“You need to ask?” Ryuji chuckled, letting his hand fall to Akira’s knee. “Just don’t let Futaba know I said that…”

That name was enough to make Ryuji widen his eyes, concerned.

“Shit, that’s right!” he said. “Where is everyone? Are they safe?”

“I don’t know,” admitted Akira. “I think they’re going through the same thing as you.”

Ryuji bit the inside of his lip, his gaze becoming distant for a while.

“It’ll be fine,” assured Akira. “We’ll bring them back.”

The answer was an absentminded nod. He could tell Ryuji was worried about their friends, and Akira couldn’t blame him for that. In a way, that world of sweet dreams was crueler than anything they had faced until that moment.

“How about you?” asked Ryuji after some time. “Did you… y’know…”

He gestured in an attempt to convey his thoughts, but Akira could understand what he meant.

“Yeah,” answered Akira. “For once I was this perfect guy I always tried to be, loved by my parents and everyone at school, with a published book and all that shit.” He made a brief pause, a slight smile on his lips. “You were there too. It’s funny how, even in a world of lies, we still ended up together.”

“What a weird way to be romantic,” commented Ryuji.

“Right?”

Ryuji smiled, but there were still traces of anxiety on his face.

“Was it hard for you?” he asked after some consideration.

“A little,” admitted Akira. “Knowing you’d still be here made it easier to wake up.”

“I’m glad to hear that. But, Aki… how did you escape on your own?”

“I’m not sure,” Akira thought for a moment. “I remember something glowing, and calling my name… I think it looked like a butterfly.” He made a pause as he recalled that familiar presence. “As it talked to me, my true memories started to come back, and everything else crumbled. At some point, I just couldn’t ignore the reality anymore.”

“Same as me, then.”

Saying that, Ryuji let out a long sigh.

“We gotta help the others too,” he lowered his voice. “Damn… That’s really gonna hurt them, won’t it?”

“We’ll help them out,” answered Akira. “We’ve come this far together, so there’s no way we’ll give up on them now. Even if it’s painful, we still have to do it.”

“Damn right.”

Ryuji closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his strength, then stood up, offering his hand to help Akira do the same.

“How do we leave, then?” he asked, glancing around. “I don’t see an exit.”

“It’s your dream,” said Akira. “You’re the one who has to wake up.”

“Ah… I see.”

He seemed hesitant, and Akira reached for his hand.

“Will you be alright?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Ryuji took a deep breath. “Aki… You’ll be there with me when I wake up, right?”

Akira offered him a reassuring smile.

“Of course, you idiot,” he said.

“Okay, then…”

Ryuji took a moment to calm himself down. The uncertainty slowly left his face, being replaced by a determined expression. His grip on Akira’s hand became stronger.

“Let’s go get them back,” he said.

Akira nodded. Reassured by the thought that, no matter what happened, Ryuji would be there with him, he closed his eyes, allowing his consciousness to be softly pulled back into reality.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it!


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